God Who Keeps Covenant and Mercy - Nehemiah 9:32

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared how the Levites said Jehovah God cared for the people of Israel by delivering them from Egypt, however God's prophets, “testified against them, that you might bring them again unto your law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto your commandments, but sinned against your judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Yet many years did you forbear them, and testified against them by your spirit in your prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gave you them into the hand of the people of the lands. Nevertheless for your great mercies' sake you did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God”, and in chapter nine and verse thirty-two of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared how the Levites said Jehovah God, “keeps covenant and mercy” where we read,

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keeps covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before you, that has come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

The verse reads, “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keeps covenant and mercy, ...”Nehemiah began with the words, “now therefore, our God” which means “so then, wherefore and on this account our, the people of Israel's and the Levites Supreme Deity”, “the great” or “the distinguished and important”, “the mighty” which means “the strong, brave and powerful”, “and the terrible God” or “and the reverent, awesome Supreme Deity”, “who keeps covenant and mercy” which means “who guards, observes, watches over and protects alliance, pledge, agreements and compassion, tender love and pity” perform the following. Nehemiah shared how the Levites called upon Jehovah God who is distinguished, powerful and awesome to do the following. 

The verse goes on to say, “let not all the trouble seem little before you, that has come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people,” Nehemiah continued with the words, “let not all the trouble” or “do not allow or permit each, every, the whole and everyone of the toils, hardships, distresses and weariness” “seem little before you” which means “exist as small, few and diminished in front and in the presence of you, Jehovah God”, “that has come upon us” or “that has been attained, secured and acquired”, “on our kings” which means “upon our, the Levites and the people of Israel's, royal rulers and leaders”, “on our princes” or “upon our rulers, leaders, chiefs and chieftains”, “and on our priests” which means “and upon our, the Levites and people of Israel's, spiritual spokesmen and leaders”, “and on our prophets” or “and upon our, the Levites and the people of Israel's, speakers and spokesmen”, “and on our fathers” which means “and upon our, the Levites and the people of Israel's, male progenitors and ancestors”, “and on all your people” or “and upon each, every, the whole and everyone of your, Jehovah God's, human beings both male and female”. Nehemiah shared how the Levites appealed to Jehovah God not to allow “all” the hardships and difficulties experienced by the people of Israel, their royal rulers, leaders, spiritual spokesmen, speakers, male progenitors and everyone of God's human beings of Israel to seem small to Him.

Finally the verse says, “... since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.” Nehemiah concluded this verse with the words, “since the time of the kings” or “from the season pertaining to the royal rulers and leaders” “of Assyria” which means “belonging to Assyria whose name means a step” “unto this day” or “till the current sunrise to sunset or time period”. Nehemiah ended this verse by sharing how the Levites said they and the people of Israel experienced difficulties and troubles from the time they were under the rule of the royal leaders belonging to “Assyria”.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how the Levites knew they and the people of Israel along with their leaders suffered greatly, however, Jehovah God was distinguished, powerful and awesome, and even though the people of Israel rebelled against Him from the time they were in “Assyria”, He continued to observe their difficulties as small. God oversees all of us, and when we yield to His Son Jesus who came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised three days afterward, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and listen to us when difficulties and troubles arrive into our lives. 

Next time Nehemiah shares how the Levites said of Jehovah God, “you are just in all that is brought upon us”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".